Bastard. The Legacy of Pinochet's Genocide

(Bastardo. La herencia de un genocida)
Pepe Rovano | Documentary

2023 | 83 minutes | Chile, Italy, Sweden

On discovering his father was the head of Chilean police intelligence guilty of human rights abuses, the director confronts him and looks for victims.

Synopsis

When Pepe returns to Chile after years in Italy, he uncovers a shocking truth: his father is Colonel Rodrigo Retamal, a former head of Chilean police intelligence, notorious for human rights abuses.

Pepe embarks on a quest to understand his father’s dark past. Along the way, he meets the children of his father’s victims, as well as others whose families were devastated by the regime’s brutality. Pepe grapples with his desire to repair the broken legacy he has inherited.

Despite his initial shock, Pepe decides to confront Retamal. Desperate for a connection, Pepe seeks signs of remorse in his father. However, their relationship disintegrates when Pepe reveals his homosexuality.

Amidst the backdrop of Chile’s 2019 social unrest and protests, Pepe becomes a key figure in the movement that ultimately leads to the drafting of a new constitution, marking a turning point in Chile’s struggle to end the long-standing impunity of its corrupt establishment.

Reviews

"'Bastard' is emblematic of the profound trauma that generations of Chileans continue to process" — Juan Marín, Culturizarte

Citation
Main credits

Rovano, Pepe (film director)
Rovano, Pepe (screenwriter)
Rovano, Pepe (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematography, Pablo Valenzuela, Pepe Rovano; editing, Juan Eduardo Murillo; music, Alekos Vuskovic, Sebastián Abraham.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
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Festivals

FICViña Viña del Mar International Film Festival; La Habana New Latin American International Film Festival; Quilpé Chilean Film Festival; Millenium Documentary Film Festival; Trieste Ibero-American Film Festival; FIDBA Buenos Aires International Documentary Film Festival; SANFIC Santiago International Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Pepe Rovano

NATIONALITY: Chile, Italy, Sweden

YEAR: 2023

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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